Pro-gov’t daily sets up hotline for informing on Gülen followers in EU


Date posted: June 21, 2017

The pro-government Sabah daily’s Europe edition, Sabah Avrupa, has set up a telephone line for its readers to report followers of the faith-based Gülen movement, against which Turkish authorities launched a witch hunt over its alleged involvement in a failed coup last summer.

On its front page on Tuesday, Sabah Avrupa published a telephone number for its readers to call to report Gülen followers and said: “FETO report line. Traitor FETÖ members. Don’t think we have forgotten you! To our readers in Europe: Report those traitors [Gülen followers] who tyrannized you and we will uncover them.”

FETÖ is a derogatory term used by government circles to refer to the Gülen movement.

Earlier In February, German police teams raided the apartments of four Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DİTİB) imams in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate who were suspected of acting as informants. The coordinator of DİTİB, mainly supported by the Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), Murat Kayman, announced his resignation over the allegations.

The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (GBA) said in a statement that the imams had acted on an order issued on Sept. 20 of last year by the directorate to profile Gülen movement sympathizers.

In December 2016, Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens announced that he had ordered security and intelligence units in the country to closely monitor mosques operated by the Diyanet amid reports that the directorate had asked imams to spy and inform on Belgians of Turkish origin suspected of being active in the faith-based Gülen movement.

Despite repeated statements by US-based Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, whose views inspired the movement, and Gülen-linked institutions abroad denying involvement in the failed coup, followers of the movement have been subjected to harassment, discrimination and even assault by pro-government people.

Several Gülen sympathizers working in Gülen-linked institutions were handed over to Turkish authorities after being detained by local police in several countries as part of the Turkish government’s witch-hunt against the Gülen movement overseas.

Source: Turkish Minute , June 21, 2017

Tags: | | |


Related News

Lord Mitchell pays a visit to Turkish School

The Wisdom School hosted a talk from a member of the House of Lords on Friday 23rd November 2012 to encourage students to engage more with the political and parliamentary process. It was one of over 40 visits to schools that took place around the United Kingdom to mark the final day of Parliament Week, […]

TUSKON: Twitter ban a disappointment in information age

Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) Chairman Rıza Nur Meral voiced his disappointment on Friday over the decision by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which tries to attract voters with promises of democracy, more human rights, increased rule of law and reforms to gain EU membership, to block access to Twitter.

Is the March 30 referendum in danger?

It has become very evident that some businessmen who benefitted illegally in major state tenders acquired independent media, a person very close to Erdoğan was appointed as the editor-in-chief and that this media organ became a mouthpiece of Erdoğan. Independent civil society groups such as the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (TÜSİAD) and the Hizmet movement are constantly depicted as traitors and the puppets of international dark forces by Erdoğan.

Vision-impaired journalist, under arrest for 7 months, denied access to Braille books in prison

Visually impaired Turkish journalist Cüneyt Arat, under arrest over alleged ties to the Gulen movement since July, last year, has said in a letter that he was denied access to Braille books as well as audio-described movies.

US Human Rights Report: Tens of thousands jailed in Turkey with little clarity on charges

The 2016 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices — the Human Rights Reports — released by the US State Department on Friday said that Turkish courts had imprisoned tens of thousands of people with little clarity on charges and evidence over their alleged links with a failed coup in July 2016 that was blamed on the Gülen movement.

Gulen: Issuance of arrest warrant changes nothing about my views

The issuance of an arrest warrant from a Turkish court changes nothing about my status or my views. I have repeatedly condemned the coup attempt in Turkey and denied any knowledge or involvement. It is well-documented the Turkish court system is without judicial independence, so this warrant is yet another example of President Erdogan’s drive authoritarianism and away from democracy.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

GYV highlights ‘Turkish dream’ at its traditional iftar

Portrait of Fethullah Gülen: A Modern Turkish-Islamic Reformist

Future’s continent and African renaissance

The aftermath of the failed Turkey coup: Torture, beatings and rape

Understanding Fethullah Gülen (2)

History of politically motivated assault on Bank Asya

Turks Taught Us How to Invest In Education, says Congolese Minister

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News